Rolled Roses

Since Close To My Heart released their first Cricut cartridge, Art Philosophy, I have loved making rolled flowers. These babies are actually from Artiste, which is our second cartridge that was released a few years ago.

I started with this gorgeous patterned paper from retired, Ariana. I added a strip of our Black Shimmer Trim, then a Black cardstock border. The sentiment piece is Creme Brulee cardstock cut with a great stitching die from My Favorite Things. The sentiment is stamped in Black, from a retired set.

The three flowers are cut from Sorbet cardstock, each cut at a different size. I added a Sparkle to the centre of each, although, one looks to be missing in this photo.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Paper: retired Ariana
Cardstock: Colonial White; Creme Brulee; Sorbet
Embellishments: Sparkles; Black Shimmer Trim
Ink: Black
Tools: Artiste Cricut cartridge
Other: My Favorite Things Die-Namics Vertical Stitching Strips

A Photo Challenge

Since this past week has been a challenging one, I thought I might add a pleasant challenge from Just Us Girls. This is their "Photo Week #264" Challenge.

I lifted this design and put my own spin on it. I started with Lagoon cardstock and stamped with our new background stamp, Season of Thanks, in coordinating ink. I added a scalloped square of patterned paper from Pathfinding paper package and stamped the stitches with  Barn Red ink.

The centrepiece is an awesome chipboard piece from Pathfinding Complements. I mounted it on a scalloped circle cut from Autumn Terracotta cardstock.


Here is the photo inspiration for the Just Us Girls Photo Week #264 Challenge.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Pathfinding
Stamp: retired
Cardstock: Lagoon; Autumn Terracotta
Ink: Barn Red; Lagoon
Embellishments: Pathfinding Complements

Another simple Christmas card

Here is another quick card using Hostess stamp, Sing Glory.

This card went together really fast with Whisper cardstock underneath some lovely polka dot paper and a zip strip from Snowhaven. I stamped this gorgeous angel with Glacier ink, then added Stardust Glitz. The sentiment is stamped with Black ink and the entire piece is matted with Black cardstock. I also edged the stamped piece with some Glacier ink. I tied the entire thing up with some Ruby Baker's Twine.

All supplies are Close to My Heart.
Stamp: Hostess Sing Glory
Paper: Snowhaven
Cardstock: Whisper; White Daisy; Black
Ink: Glacier; Black
Embellishments: Stardust Glitz; Ruby Baker's Twine

New Christmas

There are many new Christmas stamps in our Annual Inspirations Idea Book and I like to ink and try out new things. You know....like a crow to shiny things! So, that is what I have been doing.......this is a lovely new Hostess stamp, Sing Glory.

I stamped this spectacular angel with Crystal Blue ink and added Stardust Glitz for some sparkle. The sentiment is also from a new set, Merriest Christmas. I stamped it with Black ink and edges almost all of my pieces with Black ink, also.

I matted the stamped piece with Cranberry ink and the larger piece with Whisper cardstock. The patterns are both from Snowhaven paper.


All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Merriest Christmas; Sing Glory
Paper: Snowhaven
Cardstock: Whisper; Cranberry; White Daisy
Ink: Crystal Blue; Black
Embellishments: Stardust Glitter

Let the mass of Christmas card making begin.........

Okay, have you ever started something in your life that seemed to suck you into a vortex.........I have recently! My dear neighbour stated she was going to purchase a pass to visit our local recreation centres, so she could get back in shape. The light bulb lit up in my head so brightly, it almost blinded her! I suggested maybe I go with her.....depending on her plan.

Ha.....her plan was to be at the gym Mon, Wed and Fri at 6am to do an hour long workout, before she had to get home to open her daycare. Really.......'cause I often am going to bed at 6am.....so surely this was the plan I wanted to adopt to have someone to go to the gym with......yah right!!

Well, I have been trying to adapt for the past 2 weeks........with some success! I did have a dream one night that the alarm did not go off and I missed going to the gym. That happened this past Friday....although I got up at 6am and met my neighbour at the gym, rather than our usual car pooling. The previous Monday, my son was going to come with us for some instruction.......that day I preset my alarm, but didn't look too carefully to see I had set it for the wrong day! Thankfully, my son we my alarm clock.

Anyhow, I have been in a gym/sleep vortex and have not been lucid much to keep up my posting. I promise to try better now that a routine is catching up with me!

This lovely cabin & tree stamped image is from NEW stamp set, Christmas Post. I suggest you do not do what I did and colour on your My Acrylix stamps with alcohol markers.......they are permanently stained! That is how I got green trees along with the neutral coloured cabin. The sentiment is stamped with Cranberry ink, on White Daisy cardstock and is matted with Cranberry cardstock.

The amazing patterned paper is from the amazing, Snowhaven, as is the diagonal striped border, which is a zip strip. I tied this card up with some Ruby Baker's Twine. Edges were sponged with Desert Sand ink.


All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Christmas Post
Paper: Snowhaven
Ink: Desert Sand; Cranberry; Shin Han alcohol markers
Embellishments: Ruby Baker's Twine

Birthday Cards for Men

Let's be honest, I like to make pretty things. So when I must create cards for my husband or son's birthdays, I must go to a place I don't visit often. My husband celebrated his birthday on the 4th of October and this is one of the cards I made with him in mind.

I started with Desert Sand and Bamboo cardstock on a Colonial White base. I edged everything with Desert Sand ink, then stamped with a retired background stamp on the Bamboo cardstock with Desert Sand ink. I used our sweet new Chevron punch to create the border.

I inked up this lovely lighthouse and sentiment, from Seaside Greetings, with White Daisy pigment ink and stamped them on Outdoor Denim cardstock. I embossed them with clear embossing powder. I cut Colonial White cardstock the same size as the Outdoor Denim piece and Desert Sand cardstock 1/4 of an inch larger and rounded all corners. I tied them all up with some Natural Hemp and this was my first Men's card to choose from. Stay tuned for my next one.


All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Seaside Greetings
Ink: Desert Sand; White Daisy Pigment
Cardstock: Colonial White; Desert Sand; Bamboo; Outdoor Denim
Embellishments: Clear Embossing Powder; Natural Hemp
Tools: Chevron Punch; Corner Rounder

2 Step Stamping

I hope all of my Canadian friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving long weekend. I was very thankful to reminisce with some dear friends, from my teen years and early twenties. I was fortunate to spend time with my wonderful neighbour, at our new 6 am workout spot. Best of all, I spent the weekend with my amazing husband and 3 wonderful teenagers. It was a beautiful weekend all of the way around!

For this card I used a new favourite stamp for showcasing 2 step stamping. I stamped with, A Budding Friendship, in Black; Thistle; and Canary ink. I stamped the outline with Black ink first, them the inner shade with Thistle. The centres are in Canary ink. I am quite sure this technique of layer stamping has a name, but I am not sure what it is. I also added some Thistle Diagonal Ribbon.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: A Budding Friendship
Ink: Black; Thistle; Canary
Cardstock: White Daisy; Black
Embellishments: Thistle Diagonal Ribbon

Home for the Holidays

In our Annual Inspirations Idea Book, we have some pretty amazing stamp sets and patterned papers. Home for the Holidays is our October Stamp of the Month and it has some images that will be wonderful for many years to come.

This card is so simple, yet I love it every time I look at it. I knot it is the sweet bear and snowflakes, that helps me feel that way. I stamped the stamp image with Pacifica ink. The 3 patterned papers are from the lovely Snowhaven. I added our new awesome Silver Sequins and the sentiment is from a retired set. I also dragged my pieces through black ink to get the outline.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamps: Home for the Holidays October SOTM
Paper: Snowhaven
Embellishments: Silver Sequins
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge

I've been swinging with Artfully Sent!

My family have been members of the Artfully Sent widows of late......'cause I've been cutting up a recycle bin full of scraps with this new cartridge!

I wasn't initially thrilled the first time this Flaxen colour showed up in paper packages, a few Idea Books ago. Now, however, I find myself really liking it. I paired Flaxen with some patterned paper from Laughing Lola and Ariana.

I cut this sweet flower swing card at 5 1/2" from Flaxen cardstock and the Ariana patterned paper. I cut away all of the card from the Ariana patterned, except for the front panel. The "I'm crazy for you" insert is from Laughing Lola. This card is really simple, so I used my Black Journaling Pen to outline the flower and its middle.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Retired Ariana & Laughing Lola
Cardstock: Flaxen
Ink: Desert Sand
Embellishment: Black Journaling Pen
Tools: Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge

More Puppy Party Birthday

Oh, what a beautiful Fall week we are having. A little rain here and there, but mostly sunny skies to enjoy! I had a lovely evening, on my deck, last night with my neighbour. We sat amongst my newly potted 'everbearing' strawberries, that are still blooming and yielding lovely, plump berries. It was also fun to watch the orb spiders hanging in their amazing webs, close by.

This card is another included in my upcoming Puppy Party Birthday class.

This card has Crystal Blue mats and this lovely monotone graphic paper from Confetti Wishes. The stamped piece is done with Pacifica; Crystal Blue; and Canary ink. The sentiment and other items were cut from one of the amazing papers in this paper pack. 

I tied the stamped piece up with Thistle Diagonal ribbon and added liquid glass to the tiny patterned circles cut from the paper.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Confetti Wishes
Stamp: Puppy Party
Cardstock: White Daisy; Crystal Blue
Ink: Crystal Blue; Pacifica; Canary
Embellishments: Thistle Diagonal Ribbon; Liquid Glass

October has arrived.....let Fall begin with Birthday cards!

Oh beautiful Fall....I have waited too long for you to arrive! It was an unseasonably hot summer on the West Coast and I am ecstatic we are back to glorious Fall like weather!

On that note, I would like to show one of the 3 cards participants will make at my upcoming "Birthday Card" class.

I really like the diversity of patterns and colours that are included in the Confetti Wishes paper pack. I also am smitten with new stamp set, Puppy Party. I had to combine them together for this upcoming class.

I wanted to use an unexpected shape, so I chose this Christmas ornament shape, for the main mat, for my sentiment. I used Thistle and Canary cardstock throughout, along with White Daisy. I covered the sentiment with Liquid Glass, after stamping it with Thistle ink and cutting the image out. Embellishments include NEW White Epoxy Stars and Thistle Diagonal Ribbon.

The curved "CELEBRATE" is cut from the backside of another patterned paper in this kit. Stay tuned for the second and third cards in this class.


All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Confetti Wishes
Stamp: Puppy Party
Cardstock: White Daisy; Thistle; Canary
Ink: Thistle
Embellishments: Liquid Glass; Thistle Diagonal Ribbon; White Epoxy Starts
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge